


Belonging

by xanihil



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2021-01-14 23:27:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21238811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xanihil/pseuds/xanihil
Summary: Albus Severus Potter has a disagreement with the Sorting Hat about where he belongs





	Belonging

**Author's Note:**

> I’m pretty much ignoring the existence of The Cursed Child for this story

Albus Severus Potter tried to argue with the sorting hat, but he couldn't seem to change its mind. His dad had assured him before getting on the train that the hat would let him choose in the end, if he really didn't want to be in Slytherin. But despite this assurance, he was making no headway with the raggedy hat.

"I want to be in Gryffindor," Albus thought, desperately, for the dozenth time since putting the hat on a minute ago. "Please, I don't want to be in Slytherin."

"I can see everything inside your head," said the Sorting Hat, inside Albus's mind. "And I can see that you belong in Slytherin. You will do great things in Slytherin, and your attempts to persuade me otherwise only further prove this verdict."

Albus didn't want to be in Slytherin, though. If the hat announced he was to be in Slytherin, Albus decided he would just walk over to the Gryffindor table anyway. Or maybe just refuse to remove the hat until it changed its mind. Or maybe he could use that spell he'd learned on the train to set the hat on fire, and then the hat wouldn't be able to say anything…

"Cunning," the hat replied to these thoughts, "and ruthless. No Gryffindor has ever threatened to set me on fire, though I can think of a few Slytherins who have…"

"Please," Albus begged, "I would never really set you on fire."

His subconscious thoughts immediately betrayed that claim.

Trying a different tactic, he thought, "If you put me in Slytherin my life will be ruined. Uncle Ron would never talk to me again. And my brother…"

"Your desire to be a Gryffindor is entirely motivated by fear."

The irony of that was not lost on Albus. It would take a lot of bravery to be in any house other than Gryffindor, with his family history. But if he had that sort of bravery, the hat wouldn't have hesitated. He didn't have the courage to sit down amongst the Slytherins on the far side of the hall, as far away from James as he could possibly be. If he did have that sort of courage, he'd be sitting with the Gryffindors. He was stuck.

As a last ditch effort, he thought, "Hufflepuff is fine. Nothing wrong with a Hufflepuff! I could be loyal. Just… not Slytherin."

"Yes, you have the potential to show great loyalty. Your devotion to your family shows this. But more than loyalty, you wish to fit in, to be accepted by your family, which is a trait of self-preservation, a Slytherin trait."

Albus knew that his reasons for choosing Gryffindor or Hufflepuff were entirely selfish. But what choice did he have? They were his family. His dad had said they would love and accept him whatever house he was in, but James had made no such promise. He'd been teasing Albus about it all summer. And besides, hadn't his dad taught him this hat negotiation trick as a way of getting into Gryffindor regardless? Didn't that mean he wanted Albus to choose Gryffindor, like he had?

"You cannot force your family to accept you," said the hat, "but you can join a noble House whose members will appreciate you as you are, unaltered."

Albus's thoughts drifted unintentionally to the boy he'd met on the train, who'd been sorted into Slytherin just a few minutes earlier. He'd gotten on better with him than any of his siblings or cousins, and he was a Slytherin. He wouldn't judge Albus for his ambition, or cunning, or small lingering desire to set the sorting hat on fire.

In that moment of weakened resolve, Albus heard the hat announce to the room in a booming voice, "SLYTHERIN!"

The hat was lifted from his head as confused whispers emanated from the crowd. Albus wondered just how long he'd been arguing with the hat.

For a moment teetered on the edge of following through with his plan. If he walked confidently towards the Gryffindor table, who would stop him? And wouldn't that very act of bravery justify his inclusion in the house of the lion-hearted?

But the Slytherin table recovered from the shock, and were cheering for him. And the blond boy from the train was waving at him enthusiastically.

Shakily, still a little dazed, he managed to make his way to the Slytherin table and seat himself on the bench beside Scorpius Malfoy.

"Welcome to Slytherin!" said one of the older students, slapping him on the back.

Albus smiled nervously in response, then turned his attention to the next student to be sorted. When they were placed in Gryffindor, Albus's eyes drifted naturally towards James. Perhaps sensing this glance, James removed his attention from the new recruit to bestow upon Albus a know-it-all smirk, complete with raised eyebrows and whispers to his neighboring Gryffindors.

Albus gulped and looked away, as his stomach tied in knots.  _ I tried, _ he wanted to tell James,  _ I really tried to be in Gryffindor. _ But James was on the other side of the hall, and couldn't hear Albus's thoughts the way the hat could. James had known that Albus would be a Slytherin, and Albus knew what James thought of Slytherins. Albus wanted to explain himself somehow, but the space between his table and his brother's seemed too big a gap to breach. Surrounded by his new housemates, he felt utterly alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lmao imagine if I just stopped there. Not much of an ending.
> 
> Anyway comment if you want more


End file.
